Posted by Commodore Drudoc Andone (Commanding Officer) in Side Sim: Engineering
[snip]

On one level, Katie was thrilled with the new assignment and her new office. Katherine Hobbes, Chief Engineer. It had a nice ring to it. It came with an actual office instead of work station on the main floor of Engineering.

But on another level, it felt wrong. She had relied on Miz’uki’s experience and felt she still had a lot to learn from the Caitan. This was Miz’uki’s post. Miz’uki’s office and desk and chair. Someday, perhaps, it would feel like it was hers. Someday. Just not quite yet.

The desk monitor buzzed to alert of an incoming message and Katie touched the screen and saw that it was a communication from her sister Jasmine. Jazz was several years older and had command of her own ship already. As expected the note was terse.

“Congratulations on your new position, little sister. With your permission I am sending you a present; a engineer warrant officer. Look forward to hearing how you and Anang get along,” was all the message said.

=/\= LtJg Katherine (Katie) Hobbes, CE

A few minutes after Katie had gotten off her comms, there was a slight knock on the side of her entry door. Standing there was one of her many NE’s now under her charge. “..Uh ma’am? You got a uh..” He seemed to pause to consider his wording, glancing back at something out of sight before sighing a bit leaning forward in a little so his hands were hidden from whoever was outside, “..a uh ‘special’ guest? You got a moment for them?” he asked.

“Of course,” Katie said, pushing aside the stack of reports. “Show them in.”

After Katie had given her consent, the NE shook his head a bit heading out back to his work station. There was a faint humming sound from just around the corner of her office door before in rolled on a pair of treads a 4‘5 tall stocky black-grey toned plast-metal made......robot? OOC: It looked as follows: https://st4.depositphotos.com/1733845/21771/v/380/depositphotos_217711892-stock-illustration-cartoon-robot-waving-his-hand.jpg?forcejpeg=true

The only difference being was the lower tube part of its body was a single unit to the upper part. And it didn’t have any obvious dials or a drawer handle on it. Beyond this it was black-grey in tone and sleek in shape. With a slight beep and bop it rolled forward to stop just before her desk. In its extending arms and hands it carried a box wrapped with a fuzzy red bow below which the box was wrapped in a silken like wrapping. Over what seemed a integrated comm unit a female like toned voice spoke which was making an effort to disguise itself as more ‘robotic’. Based on the voice and movements obviously someone was remote controlling it from elsewhere, =/\= Beep bop, greetings organic unit known as Junior Lieutenant Katherine Hobbes. I am Helper Unit 002A. A far superior model of Helper Unit 001 and an upgraded model of its replacement, Unit 002. I come bearing a gift of welcoming and congratulations from my people on this pleasant ship of your Federation. Bop beep! =/\= It said, the arms then extending the extra foot to lay the wrapped gift on the desk. Once placed there was a whirring sound and the arms retracted lowering to its side. =/\= Bop beep, Helper Unit 002A would be most gratified if you opened your gift, Beep bop =/\= It said. There was another whir and the movement of its two eyes focusing and zooming as if eagerly waiting for Katie to open the gift.

GM CockRoach

“Greetings mechanical being referred to as Helper Unit 002A,” Katie said ignoring for the moment the gift on her desk. “You are about the cutest thing I’ve seen on this pleasant starship. Are there many more of your people? Are you and your people fully autonomous?”

OOC: response if any from Helper Unit 002A.

“Clearly you would like to see me open this gift … though I must admit that since the wrapping is so beautifully done, I am tempted to keep it exactly as it is,” Katie said. She allowed herself a half smile and wondered whether there was any logic to teasing a robot. “No. I suppose that it would be unkind of me.”

She picked up the package and carefully removed first the bow and the silken wrapping and placed them carefully on the desk. She hesitated for just a moment before opening the box, allowed her half smile to become a full one as she watched the robot watching her. A heartbeat later, she opened the box.

“Oh my,” she said.

=/\= Ltjg Katherine (Katie) Hobbes, CE